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MAJOR WORK STARTS ON DRYSDALE BYPASS

Major construction has kicked off on the Drysdale Bypass, getting locals and drivers on the Bellarine Peninsula where they need to go safer and sooner.

Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville turned the first sod today on the $117 million project near Grubb Road and Portarlington Road.

Construction company Decmil is now on site and has commenced works on the project following the contract being awarded at the end of August.

The new bypass will improve safety and ease congestion by 40 per cent through the heart of town – diverting trucks and traffic onto this more efficient route.

More than 11 per cent of the 20,000 vehicles which travel through Drysdale each day are made up of heavy vehicles – that figure is expected to be cut in half when the new bypass is open.

That means hundreds of trucks will be taken off local roads, making it safer for local drivers, pedestrians and cyclists around Drysdale.

The bypass will also relieve traffic during the busy summer period, when more than 5,000 extra vehicles pass through Drysdale each day.

And travel times for locals living on the north Bellarine around Portarlington, St Leonards and Indented Heads will have their travel times reduced.

As part of the project, the existing roundabout at Grubb Road and Portarlington Road will be replaced with traffic lights, improving traffic flow and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

There will also be improved access to schools, sports precincts and growing residential communities through a new six-kilometre shared user path, which includes an underpass for pedestrians and students at Peninsula Drive.

Construction is now underway with completion of the new bypass expected in mid-2020.

Quotes attributable to Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville

“The Drysdale Bypass will slash travel times to and from the north Bellarine, boost safety and ease congestion through the heart of Drysdale.”

“The bypass will give the local town back to the community and local roads back to local drivers by taking hundreds of trucks and heavy traffic off busy High Street.”

“We’ve listened to the community every step of the way and I commend in particular the Drysdale Clifton Springs Community Association for their contribution during the planning stages of this project.